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INTERVIEW: Cedric Gervais at TomorrowWorld

Cedric Gervais has had an incredible 2013. His remix of Lana Del Rey's "Summertime Sadness" has become a huge hit, not just on the dance floor, but on the radio as well. He's played at some of the best clubs and festivals around the world, and even made his way on to the big screen! Not to mention his beloved Miami Heat became champions once again.

We caught up with Cedric before his set at TomorrowWorld where he talked about Lana Del Rey, his hometown of Miami, his cameo in the movie "Pain and Gain," and of course, the Miami Heat. Check it out below:

Tonight you are playing on Smash the House vs Dirty Dutch at TomorrowWorld. Are you excited?

Well, you know, it’s my first time at TomorrowWorld. So, I’m very excited to be here in Atlanta. And I’m actually playing Smash the House vs Dirty Dutch, which is also the LIV Miami tent - which is part of my home in Miami. So I am very excited about that. I have a lot of new productions I’m gonna try tonight. I have an hour set so I’m trying to do my best. I have my full visual show tonight, so it’s going to be exciting.

What’s the best part about the dance scene in Miami, or in Miami in general - other than the Miami Heat?

(Laughs) Well, there’s nothing better than the Miami Heat. But, no, the best thing about Miami is there [are] so many flavors of people living in Miami; South American, Venezuelan, Colombian, and Argentinean, and European people. And, you know, they grew up on electronic music, so it's very unique. I've been living there for 18 years. I really feel Miami was a big part of this whole EDM exposure in America.

So, who’s your BFF on the Heat?

LeBron. Yeah, that's my boy. (laughing)

"Summertime Sadness" has had some serious radio play time. What was it like hearing your song on the radio the first time?

I mean that's the biggest thing an artist can expect. I didn't expect that. I’m a very huge fan of Lana and when I first did the remix, I was just expecting [it] to be a big club record because she has such a beautiful voice that fits in house music. And then it blew up the way it did. So, I’m very surprised, actually, and happy at the same time.

Correct. It's coming out, actually, in two weeks. It’s Spinnin' Records worldwide, and Interscope. So it‘s gonna come out first on Beatport because I want it to come from our world first, the DJs and, you know, the festivals. And then we’re gonna release it like to the main crowd on iTunes and, and go in to top 40 radio with it.

You’re doing a great job remixing Lana, and we love Lana. Are there any other vocalists or any other musicians that you’re listening to, that you'd like to work with or remix?

There’s a lot. I’m getting a lot of requests, like The Killers new single. The Killers asked for me to remix their new single, Depeche Mode asked me to remix their new single. I respect all those guys, but it’s all about the song. [If] the song is right to turn into a house. I’m just not going to touch something to ruin the song and it’s not going to work that way. So, there’s too many artist that I respect them, but I don't think that it will ever work. People like Lana Del Ray have a special voice for this. There are not that many that [I'm] willing to do that for them, the same song.

This year you also released, "Things Can Only Get Better," and we love the "Miami Vice" theme in the video. Did you have any creative say in that music video?

That‘s exactly what I wanted to go for. Yes, actually all the videos I've ever done, I always sit down with the director and I come up with concepts and try to guide them. And then we have writers, but I tend to write the whole thing. But yeah, I was directing it with them and I was making sure the cast, and then choosing the cast and everything for the video.

Yes. It was very stressful. Sitting in front of MichaelBay directing you, then playing in front of 80,000 people. I think I was like, I have to drink two bottles of Patron to even say the lines that I have to say. You see me in the movie, it’s like very few seconds, but it took me like four hours. I did so many lines and so many things. And I have Mark Wahlberg looking at me on one side, the Rock looking at me, MichaelBay directing me in front of me. I’m in the booth, and I‘m like shaking. It‘s very stressful, but it was a great experience. I have two songs on the soundtrack. And then, right now I’m working on the music for "Transformers IV," so that’s exciting.

Do you think you could ever be an actor?

No, never, that’s not my thing. I’m just a friend of MichaelBay. That’s why he put me in the movie, (laughs) that's it.

What’s next for you?

Yeah, I’m not going to be remixing anybody. I’m just working on my own production. I’m working with a lot of great song writers, like Rick Knowles that writes for Lana Del Ray and Madonna and many people. And I’m just writing songs in the studio. I’m gonna go get like very cool artists from the UK and stuff like that. I’m not going to go for the obvious big singers. That's what I’m doing.